Walmart workers across the country fight for respect

Over 500 workers at Walmart locations around the country walked out on a one-day strike on November 23, 2012, the day after Thanksgiving, traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year. On the same day there were hundreds of protests at other Walmart locations.

The strikes and protests were used to put economic pressure on Walmart, the nation's largest private-sector employer to stop retaliating against pro-union workers, and to draw attention to the company's low wages and poor working conditions. Rather than pay its employees a living wage, Walmart pays poverty wages that force many of their employees to rely on public assistance, like food stamps and Medicaid. This leaves American taxpayers footing the bill for Walmart's stingy policies, and lowers wage standards for other workers.

The company has also been notoriously anti-union, once going so far as to close an entire store in Canada after its employees voted to join a union. The Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart), supported by the UFCW, is organizing workers across the country, rather than at just one or two stores, to try to put more widespread pressure on Walmart.

To stay updated about this campaign, you can follow the Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart) Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/OURWM...

And the Facebook page for Making Change at Walmart at: https://www.facebook.com/Makin...      

Eidelson, Josh. The Great Walmart Walkout.The Nation. December 19, 2012.

Moberg, David. The Walmart Revolt. In These Times. January 1, 2013.